[northfifeduckling]

This year they've been more trouble than they're worth...in spring they escaped and decided to demolish my veg - so I bought a new fence. Then one lost all her back feathers (gradually, not like a moult). All attempts to sort this out cost me a fortune in powders, sprays, vet, etc. She still has no feathers and has now been put into isolation (couldn't do that earlier due to injured , broody then mothering duck in there). Then some decided to lay elsewhere instead of the nesting box and I have to comb the garden for the third time now, whic is near impossible with the weeds due to the weather this summer (?). Now on top of that the ramaining nestbox layers have an egg eater amongst them that now has demolished the second mustard egg - very hot chilli next for her!! Unfortunately she's one that looks like 3 others, so identification will be very difficult. I AM FED UP WITH THEM! 

[darkbrowneggs]

It's possible that they are laying thin shelled eggs due to going into a moult.  Hens will naturally eat these to clean the nest box, though if it goes on for a while it quickly becomes a habit then all eggs are eaten
 
Hens have a particularly poor sense of taste regarding hot seeds (nature I suppose) but they generally dislike washing up liquid, (Ecover doesnt contain nasties), so that might be worth a try to fill a blown egg.  Generally egg eaters are the ones which have the glossiest coast and most feathers, also if you are quick you can see the yolk round the beak
 
The other way is to take a sacrificial egg put it in the nest box or on the ground and stand quietly by to see who runs to it first to break it, or put the suspects one at a time in a broody cage for a couple of days and see what they produce
 
Sometimes it is the result of too little protein  during  the time they are re-growing feathers, and sometimes lack of vitamins needed to absorb calicium, so you could try giving them a protein boost and also a little cod liver oil.  In the old days (pre-DEFRA) they would have been given milk or meat, or even fresh egg shells.
 
Egg eaters are usually nice fat juicy birds, and easy to pluck.......

[graham-j]

Hi,is it time to get the sage and onion stuffing out.

Graham.

[chrismahon]

Try pot eggs and curtains on the nest boxes NFD. A Bumpa Beak bit fitted to the culprit will certainly do the job (Omlet). Very useful things -wish we had them two years ago when we needlessly despatched 4 canniblistic but fantastic Blue Laced Wyandottes.

[northfifeduckling]

Will definitely have a look at those, Chris! Ecover next time I go shopping, too. We stopped in once before with mustard. But then I knew who it was as she was in isolation at the time. Will have a good look for evidence of yolk on the beaks, too before I let them out. How do curtains make a difference? She seems to go straight for the egg she has laid herself!

[chrismahon]

Now that's a problem you can't fix NFD. Despatch was the only option (and we've had to) until we discovered Bumpa Bits. Easily fitted with a pair of external circlip pliars -very difficult otherwise. Difference with these to standard bits is they lie flat so don't hang into the mouth and get painfully driven into the nostrils when they eat. The Bumpa at the front stops them pecking hard, but they can still manage to eat fruit. Our Molly had one fitted because of feather pecking. She was still laying well and then went broody. Had it in about a month now and its probably time to take it out.

[jaykay]

I had to use bumpers on a nasty Black Rock. But in the end I thought that trimming the very end of her top beak (the dead bit, obviously not into the blood containing part) was less nasty than something pressing into her nostrils. Either way works both for pulling out other people's feathers (my Black Rock) or pecking things you shouldn't.

Certainly egg eating can start with thin shelled eggs. I know you're annoyed with them, but some oyster grit and poultry spice might help them and therefore help them be less irritating.

I don't know why curtains help but they seem to. Chooks can't see very well in the dark, so maybe they don't see the egg they just laid?

Hope you can sort it out and they become fun again 

[northfifeduckling]

After only 2 days in isolation the featherless girl is growing some  , pecking order it was after all - all that money wasted on nutriotional supplements, sprays and powders! 
I literally ripped some eggs out from sitting hens today and I think I know now who the egg eating monster is - once the other's feathers have healed she'll go to prison! looking so harmless....
Mine do get as much grit as they need and poultry spice, too. did not have many thin shelled eggs, but how would I know 
Not found the nest yet must have around 30 eggs in it by now - another challenge once the scythe has arrived!